The knowledge and skill sets of medical care in austere environments will apply for both patients in the wilderness as well as in disaster settings or for those planning to seek proficiency in global health or humanitarian response. Our experienced faculty and guest instructors are experts of leading large groups into the backcountry. Our curriculum is a mix of lectures, hands-on scenarios, and case-based learning taught by Weill Cornell and COE faculty. This is a very popular elective and is pertinent for senior medical students applying for any residency program.

Note: : For those applying from outside of the United States, please email Diane Young, who is the person who handles overseas students rotating at Cornell. Her email is "Dianne E. Young" (dey2001@med.cornell.edu). Please contact her directly to complete your registration. She will also have country-specific information for you. The registrar requires some information that may take some time to procure, such as vaccination records/proof of immunity, so the sooner you are able to send in your information, the better.

We ask that all students e-mail the course e-mail account cornell.wilderness@gmail.com when applying, as we can keep track of your application status.

We offer a semi-annual residency elective in Wilderness Medicine on the spring or fall, that coincides with the dates of the medical student elective. Residents will help participate in the teaching and coordination of the elective, and will be expected to contribute the following:

Scholarly publication

Video teaching case

Lessons from History

Letter to the Editor

The authoring and delivery of a 45 minute PPT lecture

literature supported

WMS Scenario Library submission

FOR NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN EM RESIDENTS: Enrollment in the WMS FAWM will be initiated for interested candidates. Any resident who wishes to participate in a Wilderness Elective must apply to the WM course directors 90 days prior to the course. The course directors will then select which residents are most appropriate for the experience and then forward a list of resident participants to Dr. Carter. Residency leadership will then asses the residents' academic and compliance standing within the program and if no scheduling conflicts are present, will then approve their participation and forward it the Chiefs for inclusion on the schedules.